Headlight



W. H. STEAD A ril 5, 1932.

HEADLIGHT Filed Nov. 29. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet April 5, 1932. STEAD 171,852,222

HEADLIGHT File d Nov. 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //Y van 70R Vii N538 m 2flrronm; Ys

Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITE a FF-E'CE WILLIAIMI'H; STEAD, OFIBINGI-IAMTON, NEW YORK HEADLIGHT Application filed November 29, 1929.Serial No. 410,572.

' front side of the casing.

The main object is to provide simple. and efficient means for projectinga beam of light forwardly a long distance and across a wide field and atthe same timeto keep the beam of light below the level of the eyes ofpedestrians and the drivers of approaching vehicles without sacrificingthe intensity of the light and thereby to greatly reduce the liabilityof accidents.

One of, the specific objects is to produce a field of light of highintensity which is of. considerably greater horizontal widththanvertical height for the purpose of illuminatin-g' the; roadbed andadjoining fields a considerable distance ahead-of the vehicle. Otherobjects and uses relating to specific parts of. the lamp will'be broughtout in the following description.

In the drawings.:;

Figure lis' a perspective View ofaheadlight-embodying the variousfeatures of my invention; V

Figure 2.is.an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectionalview taken in theplane of line 22, Figure 1.

both reflectors showing, the source of light and the vertical height ofthe forwardly pro-- jecting beam of light,

Figure 6 is 'a sectlonal view on a reduced scale of the forwardlyprojecting reflector showing the laterally projecting rays of light and'the form ofthe distant field of-light;

As illustrated, this lamp comprises a hollow casing 1' which is mainlycircular in front face View and provided with .an opening in its frontend in which'is. placed a transparent or translucent closure 2- of glassor other suitable material held in place by a retaining ring or bezel-3,vthe latter, with the plate or lens -2 thereon, being removable andnormally held in place by one ormore clamping bolts 4'-, as shown inFigure 2.

The case is preferably "concave-convex in, cross section andis providedon its underside with' a hollow pendant extension 5 for receiving asupportingmember '6 for an incandescent electric lamp and a reflector-8-.

The lamp 7 is detachably mounted in a socket 7 by means of a,bayonet-lock joint and is spring pressed outwardly by a coil spring 9,the socket 7+' with the lamp 7 therein i being mounted on the inner endof alever 10- which is pivoted at 11 to the support 6 and is adaptedtobe adjusted about the axis of its pivot by means of an adjusting'screw12 to vary the position of the lamp -7 relatively to the'focal point ofthe reflector +8 as may be required for reflecting rays of lightparallel with or at an angle to theaxis of the reflector the innerend ofthe lever having a" toothed segment engaging a toothed rack on the lamp"socket 7 for transmitting mo tion thereto as shown in Figure 2.

The reflector 8 is preferably of the parabolic type and is arranged inthe bottom of the lower half of] the case 1 with. its axis vertical andat right angles to the horizontal axis of the casing, I

The upper end of therefiector is openxto: allow the rays of lightto bereflected upward-s ly parallel'to the axis and isdisposed in ahorizontal plane some distance above the botwardly into theclowerportion of the case 1- directly over the upper open end of the extension5. I

The front edge of; the horizontal shelf 15'' is provided with a pendantflange or wall ,16 having its lower edge secured by the bolts 14: to thefront, end of the case 1 ,said shelf being'also provided Withoppositeupright Walls 1Z extending upwardly from the shelf some distanceabovethe horizontal axis ofthe case 1-.

The lower edges of these side walls are disposed'in an inclined plane atan angle of approximately 45 degrees to the shelf 15 V and also to theaxisof the reflector 8'so as to incline upwardly and forwardly from therear edge of said shelf, as shown in Figure 2.

.The lower rear portions of the side walls 17 extend around thecorresponding portions of the upper end of the reflector '8 while theupper portions of the rear edges of said partitionsgare united by aconnecting plate 18 which, together with the remaining portions of theframe 13', are pref.- erably formed of sheet metal.

The rear edges of the sides -17 and shelf 15 are formed with groves -19for receiving the, opposite edges of a reflector -20, as shown inFigures 2 and 4, the side grooves 19 being open at the top to allow thereflector'20 toberemoved and replaced therethrough.

The major portions of the lower and upper edges of the reflector 20 arecircular and of about the same radius as that of the lower reflector -8but the opposite .sideedges of said reflector 2Q- are preferablystraight and parallel and also the corresponding portions of the wallsof the grooves l9r are straight and parallel to facilitate the in.-sertion and removal of the reflector and also to hold the latter againstcircumferential movement when adjusted for use. i

This reflector -,20, and particularly its front reflecting surface, isconcave transversely but straight vertically, the radius of transversecurvature of said surface being.

sufliciently long to cause its reflected rays to focus or intersect'infront of thelens and then to diverge laterally equally to oppositesidesof the horizontal axis of the case1, as shown more clearly inFigure 6.

- Two distinct sets of-ligh't .rays, as aar and a, will be projectedforwardly by the reflector 20-, one set by the straight to its distancefrom the source of light, as

illustrated more clearly in Figure 6. 7

It will be observed that the rays of-light passing from the reflector 8-to the reflec tor +20 in parallel lines are in more'or less of acircular beam A- and that the two sets of rays reflected forwardly bythe mirror 21 will be of full intensity and will illuminate the field ata longer distance ahead of the vehicle with a corresponding degree ofintensity but in the form of a more or less horizontally elongated orelliptical form A,

as shown in Figure 6, below the level of the eyes of approachingpedestrians and drivers of other vehicles, thereby greatly reducing thedanger factor of driving. i

It will also be observed upon reference to Figure 2, that the reflector.-20- is obliquel to the axis of the reflector Y8 and extends over theentire area of the open upper end of the reflector 8 which, byreason ofits parabolic form, projects a'substantially cylindrical beam of lightonto the reflecting surface of the reflector '20' which in turn convertsthe cylindrical beam into a more or less flat elliptical beam asit'appears inthe field some distance ahead of the vehicle with the majoraxis extending horizontally and the shorter axis vertically.

A similar eflectis produced by the forward reflection of the direct raysof light from the lamp 7 thereby producing an intensely luininous corefor. the mainelliptical' beam which, in addition to'the forwardlydivergent reflected rays, produces a highly illuminated field coveringthe entire 'width of the'roadway' and adjoining topography aconsiderable distance ahead of the vehicle but sufficiently narrow andlow verti-' cally to avoid glare in the eyes of approaching pedestriansand drivers of other vehicles.

What I claim is In a headlight of thecharacter described,

an outer case, a reflector supporting frame within thecase comprlsing ahorizontal shelf having a circular opening therethrough, said shelfhaving its rear half semi-circular and concentric with said opening andth'e opposite sidesof its 'front half tangential to adjacent portions ofthe rear half, upright walls rising from said shelf and extendingforwardly from the rear portion thereof around opposite sides of theopening, said upright walls having their rear portions concentric withthe opening and their front portions disposed in parallel planes adistance apart slightly greater than the diameter of said opening, therear edges of said walls and shelf being provided with grooves, anupwardly facing reflector seated in said opening, a source of light insaid reflector, and a forwardly facing reflector extending upwardlyandforwardly from the rear edge of the shelf across and beyond the axis ofthe first-named reflector and supported in said grooves.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day ofNovember, 1929.

WVILLIAM H. STEAD.

